Close Encounters of the Garda kind: chopper lights up beach party

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Saturday June 12, 2004 13:47

by kahootz

A mid-summer beach party was shut down last Friday by the “guardians of the peace” supported by mechanical flying lackey Chopper.

The scene of the “crime” was White Rock, a secluded cove in Killiney about 10 miles south of Dublin city.

Revellers had gathered to celebrating the onset of summer and to mark the end of exams. And most of all because no reason is needed to have a good time.

Walking down from the road, the music slowly got louder and from a perch high above, you could see a fire and people dancing. Beautiful. Far down on the beach, people were having a whale of a time getting down and groovy.

Music wise, the party had a definite old school rave touch, with The Prodigy’s Ruff in the Jungle Bizness and SL2’s On a Ragga Tip blasting from the sound system. Funnily enough, it was ‘I got the Power’ that was pumping as bright lights shone down from the heavens. The police had arrived. F**k them and their Law, as the Prodigy had so eloquently put it.

As usual, their timing was impeccable. 4am to be precise. Why not shut down a party an hour before dawn when there is no light for the inebriated people to scale on the 50 or so steep steps back up to the Vico road?

Tactics wise, a number of people were roughed up a bit by over zealous officers.

In a scene slightly reminiscent of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a beam of light came from the sky. Chopper, antihero of the Navan Road May Day debacle and of anti-war protests in Shannon, had arrived. Party goers cheered big bird as they peacefully headed onward.

One of the last bastions of resistance was on a high rock that juts out into the water. Here the last battles were fought as a hardcore few held their ground for a while. Soon they too leaving on the tide of inevitability.

The garda helicopter hovered nosily over the wider area till approximately 5.30am, no doubt waking more babies than the party on the beach far below had done.

After various interrogations of various Gardai, Section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order Act) was garnered to be the legal reason behind the shutdown.

“Do you think I like doing this? I’m just doing my job.”

The site of the temporary autonomous party zone that had been created was cleaner the next day than it had been before the party.

You may kick sand on our fires but you can’t put them out.

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Comments (7 of 7)

Still

by Acid

Sat Jun 12, 2004 14:34

Dozens more free parties are expected for the comming months. Keep it up!

how many

by pc

Sat Jun 12, 2004 14:57

were there last year and how many got shut down early?

Details..

by interested

Sun Jun 13, 2004 00:51

Its great that partys like this happen, but often people do find it hard to find out where they are on, till they are over.

I know precautions need to be taken as above illustrates, but any change of posting some hinters to when ones on, and how to find out more on the events guide?

Speaking of helicopters

by Hoochie Coochie Man

Sun Jun 13, 2004 03:14

I saw about fifteen large black helicopters flying over Mullingar late this evening. They were heading East.

They were the big twin propellor type, the troop carrier type.

social policing?

by anony moose

Sun Jun 13, 2004 21:58

I think a larger question should be asked here. In what interests of the police is it to shut down these parties? Surely, if a group of adults want to have a party on a public beach then it's there business? I mean, they will disperse of their own accord anyway. Well, if everyone started doing this who would bother paying 4 - 5 euro a pint in some barnyard in town, much less 60 to some MCD gig? Publicans and the government would loose out on revenue. It's being done to keep any kind of enjoyment taxable and government controlled. It's fucking ridiculous where people can't congregate in a public place and have a party without the say-so of government.

Aside from the Islamic states, despotisms and the US, Ireland is probably one of the most socially restrictive states in the world. In any case, don't make it easy for them. Go up the mountains.

aside from the black unmarked hellicopters---

by the merovignian

Mon Jun 14, 2004 20:02

did any of you feel headaches the next day?
did any of you feel unusually tired or dehydrated?
did any of you notice your cattle being restless or disturbed?
did any of you suffer time slips?
have any of you been visited by anonymous official looking types in dark glasses?
how many of you voted?

technogardai

by hj

Wed Jun 16, 2004 01:33

they had the garda boat out on saturday night to stop a party on Dalkey Island.

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Close Encounters of the Garda kind: chopper lights up beach party

Comments (7 of 7)